Red String Of Fate
by CrimsonHazelEyes
Summary: There are different kinds of people in the world; there is that quiet one, the class clown, the motherly-like, and the troublemaker. Each of them has different stories of their own, but no matter what, the red string of fate is weaving silently to tie their lives together, and will be the one to change them and teach them to love unconditionally.
1. Prologue

**Disc: I don't own G.A.**

* * *

**_There's an old tale that says soul mates minds are connected from birth. When you can't sleep, your soul mate can't sleep either. So the next time you're laying awake, know that somewhere, someone else is laying awake too._**

* * *

**Prologue: The Awkward Encounter**

There are different people in this world and you're bound to meet them in your lifetime.

There's that quiet one at the back of the class who just stares at the window with a blank face on her face, but inside of her there's probably a canvas of colorful knowledge that no one else can penetrate into.

There's the loud one who stands in front of the class and make the whole bunch laugh with the nonsense he just blurts out in spur of the moment, but inside there's probably a bucket of tears he is ready to shed.

There's that motherly-like girl in front of the classroom who advises the whole class to not overdo their fun and to also listen to the teacher, but she probably wants to make them shut up.

And last, but not the least, there's that guy at the back of the class who's taking his time for a wonderful trip to lala-land without any care to the world, but he probably wants to join into the fun that the crowd is having.

Have you ever wondered which of these people, or whatever kind of a person will be able to change your life, for better or worse, with only that magical touch of their presence? A coincidental meeting can bring you the most important person in your life, and it can also bring you the worst fears that you can have.

* * *

Mikan Sakura stared at the window with that blue-tinged reflection staring back at her. Her brown hair was tied in a messy ponytail and her big glasses were falling down at the bridge of her nose. Her eyes had that vivid look on them despite the expressionless front she had. At the corner of her eye, she could see another mirror-like image of her classmate, Natsume Hyuuga with his earphones on and napping like detentions weren't a big deal. She turned to face Hotaru Imai who was at the front of the class, trying to pacify the class with no shown progress because Ruka Nogi was too busy sprouting ridiculous statements that made them more repulsive.

The bell rang and the poor teacher couldn't even go through his lesson without any interruption and he dejectedly left.

"Sorry, Fukutan-sensei," Ruka apologized in vain because the said teacher had also vanished quietly. Mikan saw Hotaru shake her head like Ruka was the most idiotic person she'd ever met. The screech of the chair brought Mikan's attention to Natsume who stood up from his seat and Mikan shrugged because even if that guy skipped class, she didn't have anything to do with it.

Instead, her thoughts flew to her problems at home where her dad was probably ready to move out of their home, which couldn't be called home anymore, and her mom breaking everything in sight because of her anger-management issues. She was smart enough not to intervene because she would never be heard by either of them even if she said something to them because they were just that ignorant. They asked her of what they should do and if she said she wanted them to stop fighting and solve their issue quietly, her mom would start yelling at her with no end. So the conclusion she had reached was that she just had to start caring for herself, and that's it.

Feeling suffocated, Mikan rose up from her seat and decided to leave the class. She didn't miss the glance that Ruka and Hotaru gave her, but she merely ignored them and continued to walk out of that room. She needed air to breath and she wanted a serene atmosphere where she could actually organize her thoughts.

Mikan trudged up the stairs and when she was in front of the door to the rooftop, she opened her cellphone and checked the time. The bell rang again which ended the exchange of classroom and that next subject was about to start. The lass opened the metal door with a key that she obtained from the student council member who dropped it by accident. She pushed the thing open and a shower of light basked her in warmth, but it didn't last as the autumn breeze swept her from inside and she stepped forward.

The first thing that she noticed was that the skies were clear and the probability of a downpour would be zero percent. And the second thing that she noticed was that blob of black hair swaying with the wind, and Mikan realized that the quiet boy in her class switched his napping location. She was about to leave when Natsume startled her by speaking up, breaking his taciturn personality which Mikan was used to.

"Are you leaving?" he asked Mikan with that boyish voice and Mikan couldn't help but get startled because Natsume never really talked in class unless he was being asked of something.

The lass slowly swiveled around and responded, "I thought you were sleeping and I didn't want to disturb you."

Natsume's eyes were directly staring at her and Mikan felt extremely uncomfortable because having a social conversation with someone wasn't an everyday thing for her. The pressure of the awkward atmosphere made her eyes move away from Natsume's.

"You can stay here."

Mikan was a bit surprised by the openness that Natsume was displaying because he wasn't exactly the type of person who would get comfortable with someone. She realized that she'd been analyzing her classmates for a long time to know this, and it didn't really matter than they were only freshmen in high school because they obviously had different personalities.

She closed the door and it produced a loud grinding noise before the complete silence took over them. Mikan sat down next to the door and leaned on the wall and she noticed how Natsume was downcast again and was probably trying to sleep.

She'd never thought that she would be able to be with someone else like this, in a peaceful agreement of silence and with no one to interrupt their thoughts. And she would have never thought that it would be with Natsume Hyuuga, the person that her eyes have been following for more than a month.

* * *

Mikan opened her eyes and a blurry vision came into her before she felt the numbness on her bottoms and the slight pain in her neck. She felt a something brush against her arm and she moved slightly only to face Natsume sitting next to her, his raven-colored hair tickled her cheeks and their proximity felt alien and intimate to Mikan.

The embarrassed lass attempted to move away, but Natsume's head quietly dropped on her shoulder and an alertness shot through Mikan and she instinctively caught the lad's head on her hands. A crimson-colored eye fluttered open and Mikan felt the hot blush spreading across her cheeks.

Natsume casually straightened himself up and Mikan formally sat down away from him.

"Sorry," the lad muttered and the red tinge on Mikan's face deepened.

"I-It's okay," she stammered. She heard the shuffling of shoes and she figured that Natsume had already stood up. She used the 'rewind' button in her mind and she wondered why Natsume was sleeping next to her.

"I was afraid that you were going to hit your head and drop dead to the ground earlier, so I kind of...," Natsume didn't finish his sentence, but that answered Mikan's question on her mind. She never thought that Natsume would be this bashful guy and when she saw Natsume's neck turning red, she thought that maybe he wasn't so bad.

"Thank you," Mikan blurted out as Natsume proceeded in walking away. She heard him hummed a reply and stopped on his tracks.

"Aren't you going home?" he asked her. Mikan got so confused, but somehow the gears on her mind finally started working and she checked the time on her phone.

"Oh crap! It's already 3?!" Mikan exclaimed in a loud voice and she sudednly heard Natsume chuckling on his own.

"You were really tired, aren't you?" he asked her with a bit of playfulness on his tone. Mikan bit back a pout and gathered her stuff from the ground.

"This is probably the first time that I've seen you here. Are you always here?" Mikan asked, attempting to change the topic. Of course, she was tired for many reasons and she didn't have a personal connection with Natsume that would make her tell him those reasons.

"No," Natsume paused and continued just when a gust of wind blew upon them, "it's because you're always here."

"What's that?" Mikan asked, pulling her flying hair towards her.

Natsume just gave her a little smirk and said, "Nothing."

"I thought you said something," Mikan mumbled and Natsume merely raised an eyebrow at her.

He opened the door and Mikan followed his tracks. They were going down the stairs just when they heard something, or more like two people conversing with each other.

"I can't go out with you, sempai, because I like someone else." That statement was from Hotaru Imai who was facing Hayate Matsudaira, a second-year high school student.

Mikan and Natsume's footsteps made the two of them turn at the same time and their eyes met with one another. And as if the situation wasn't awkward enough, Ruka Nogi was frozen at the corner where the intersection of hallways met.

Who knows what this encounter will bring to these characters.

* * *

**A/N: OMG Hello guys! I can't believe I'm here, back and alive, after more than a year of not updating my story or posting new stories. I'm so glad that I have the time to think of this random story that I have, but actually this has been in my mind for a few weeks now and I didn't know how to start it. And btw, sorry for waiting for me D: I have such hectic schedule that I can't even do whatever I want now D: This is really unfortunate but I really would like it if you guys comment or review for this story, if it's good or bad, because I don't know if I'm going to continue this one. I only gave you the prologue because I would like to have a short introduction of the characters and how this story will start :D Again, thank you for those who reviewed for my stories, especially for "The Broken Pieces Left" and for those who want me to really revise and continue "How Much I Love You", I'm afraid you have to wait for a while because I'm having issues with how am I going to do that with such little time.**

**That being said, thank you and I'm sorry for not showing up for such a long time and I hope that there are still authors out there ready to take over for the new generation coming :D Thanks for my supporters and don't forget to comment and review! :) **

**Btw, for those who are interested, I have a wattpad profile and I have a few chapters of "Starlight Flame" and for those who know deviantart, I have an account, just search BlackRabbit28 :D**

**Yous truly, **

**-CrimsonHazelEyes**


	2. The First Encounter

**Disc: I don't own G.A. or League of Legends.**

* * *

_**Even if the mind forgets, the heart still remembers.**_

* * *

_Recap: _

"I can't go out with you, sempai, because I like someone else." That statement was from Hotaru Imai who was facing Hayate Matsudaira, a second-year high school student.

Mikan and Natsume's footsteps made the two of them turn at the same time and their eyes met with one another. And as if the situation wasn't awkward enough, Ruka Nogi was frozen at the corner where the intersection of hallways met.

* * *

**First Encounter: The Broken Girl**

Should I just walk away? Should I pretend not to hear anything? Those questions encircled Mikan's mind and to be in that situation was so rare that she didn't know what to do. Natsume remained indifferent, but the way he gulped contradicted his expression. Ruka was so stiff in the corner with his eyes floating from one side to the other and Mikan was afraid that he would become cross-eyed.

"Pretend you didn't hear anything and move along," Hotaru's voice broke the heavy tension in the air and Mikan could finally breathe again. She tugged onto Natsume's sleeve and she scuffled away from the confessing upperclassman and from the "motherly" Hotaru.

"I-I'll go with you guys," Ruka stuttered silently to Mikan and Natsume. The three of them hurried to get out of there and they stopped when they got to the first year floor to catch their breath; Ruka leaned against the wall, Natsume gazed at the window with a blank face, and Mikan bent over and placed her hands on her knees.

"Am I the only one who's feeling guilty?" Mikan asked begrudgingly. Her glasses were about the fall from the bridge of her nose but Natsume gently pushed them up. It was a good thing that her face already looked flushed because that gesture along was enough to bring her heartbeat into a chaos.

"Well, we were not really supposed to witness that," Natsume agreed with apprehension.

"That was too sudden," Ruka said. Mikan forgot that one of the most popular guys in her school got somewhat involved in the whole confession situation. "Narumi-sensei told me to get the homework sheets from the faculty room, but I wasn't expecting to see that," he explained to them.

Natsume and Mikan looked at each other and turned to Ruka.

"How are we going to face Imai-san tomorrow?" Mikan raised the question that they were dreading.

"Pretend nothing happened," Natsume suggested.

"Oh, you don't have to." That statement came from Hotaru herself. The trio jumped in shock and Ruka bumped his head on the wall in the process.

"Ho-How long have you been standing there?" Ruka asked and his voice trembled. He massaged the spot where he hurt himself.

"Just now," Hotaru blandly told them. Her expression told them nothing, however her smile slowly appeared and Mikan let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry. We didn't mean to intrude on you and Hayate-sempai," Mikan apologized politely. She bowed her head slightly and what pissed her off was that Natsume and Ruka weren't backing her up or giving her some sort of help.

"Don't worry about it," Hotaru told them with that serene voice of hers. She then turned her heels away from them and bid them goodbye.

Mikan's shoulders slumped when she realized that she was heading the same way that Hotaru just took. She mentally cringed and considered of taking the long way to go home.

"I'll see you tomorrow, guys. It's a good thing that Imai-san is a considerate person," Ruka said. He then went to the opposite way where Mikan was going to.

"See ya, Sakura," Natsume waved her goodbye. Mikan felt like there was a connection that formed between her and that unsociable guy and she thought of how nice it would've been if they actually became friends.

"See you tomorrow," she said before going to the direction where she was supposed to take. She didn't really have a choice but to take that road and if she would ever meet Hotaru, then she just had to act natural like she'd been before.

_How long has it been since the last time I talked to another student here? _Mikan thought as she left the school grounds. As expected, Hotaru Imai was walking several yards away from her and Mikan felt uncomfortable, so she left herself the constant distance from the lass.

Suddenly, the latter stopped in her tracks and Mikan was startled that Hotaru was facing her way. She wondered if Hotaru knew that she was avoiding a head-on encounter with her; that would make the situation more awkward.

"I rejected him," Hotaru suddenly spoke that Mikan's eyes widened and her pace slowed down. She didn't say anything, but she noticed how the usual benevolent aura around Hotaru suddenly diminished like light inside a closed room.

"All of you are idiots who are wasting time making friends and confessing your stupid love, and that sempai is just one of them," Hotaru said that with the most uncaring tone that Mikan had ever heard in real life. She examined the person in front of her; it was the same Hotaru Imai who had this sophisticated short hair and appropriate figure as the role model of the school. But Mikan realized that the "motherly" Hotaru was no more at that moment and she transformed into this another person who alienated everything around her.

"So this is your true personality," Mikan responded apathetically. She was surprised about this confrontation, but she didn't want to look like an idiot in front of this person.

"Yeah, so what? Those fools believe that I'm like their "older sister" or their "mother" and they can't even manage by themselves. They can't get a clue that they're making themselves look more stupid than they really are," Hotaru added with a hidden distaste.

"Then why did you lie to Matsudaira-sempai about you liking someone else?" _And why are you telling me these?_ Mikan added in her thoughts, grinding her teeth in order to stop herself from saying anything else.

Hotaru looked at the ground, her long eyelashes fluttered lightly on her cheeks. Mikan wondered how could such a beautiful person carry such anger in her heart.

"It's true," the lass said. Mikan refused to believed that she heard that answer right. It was not the response that she was expecting from the supposedly-coldhearted Hotaru and her ambiguous attitude was starting to confuse Mikan. She sighed and began walking again and when she was a step ahead of Hotaru, she heard her say something that shocked her more.

"I like Ruka Nogi, but those feelings are just a hindrance."

Mikan's blood rushed upwards and before she knew it, she was already swiveled around and she started yelling.

"Why are you telling me these? And hindrance? Feelings are yours alone so don't let anyone manipulate that possession!" Mikan's chest heaved up and down and she composed herself after she realized what she had done.

She turned back around and was about to stomp away and she heard some chuckles. It was Hotaru laughing at her and it was probably the first time that Mikan had ever heard her laugh.

"So this is your true personality," Hotaru said, mimicking what Mikan had just said earlier, with amusement dancing in her eyes. If it was possible, a nerve would have popped out because of irritation on Mikan's and she really did stomp away from the school gates. But before she would have gone farther away from Hotaru, the latter shouted something to her.

"Be my friend, Mikan Sakura!" That statement made Mikan halt in her tracks and her eyebrows met together in suspicion. She'd never had a decent friend since middle school because of her taciturn behavior in all of her classes. Her personality was often being taken advantage and they would dump all their work on her or gossip around her like she was dumb. She didn't like that. She didn't like the fact that it was because of her inability to express herself more or the fact that she couldn't make friends because she was too afraid that they would cast her aside later on, like what her parents did to her. But now, there was this strange girl who wanted to befriend her. Both of them kept secrets and they revealed them to each other in a matter of an argument.

Mikan raised her arm up and waved it to say goodbye. And Mikan didn't know that this gesture made her newly-founded friend smile genuinely. Only if she would turn around.

* * *

The next day was probably the strangest day that had ever happened. When Mikan arrived to her classroom, Hotaru was already sitting in front of the classroom with girls surrounding her with questions about their lives, Ruka was chatting and laughing with the other guys who were talking about karaoke, and Natsume was sitting at the back of the class with his earphones on. It was just the usual day for all of them and Mikan wondered if yesterday had actually happened at all. Not until Narumi-sensei, their homeroom teacher, strolled into the classroom with a sheet of paper in his hand.

"Today, I'll be announcing who are going to be on cleaning duties for this month. Wait, on a second thought, I'll just post this on the board for you to see," Narumi said slyly. He then added, "But the ones on cleaning duty today are going to be Hotaru Imai (she smiled politely at him), Ruka Nogi (he gave a little salute to him), Natsume Hyuuga (he kept listening to his IPod), and Mikan Sakura."

Mikan went pale and she also saw the same reaction from Ruka Nogi behind his desperate attempt to cover it. She also glanced at Natsume and she saw him opening his eyes with a dreaded expression.

"We can now begin our lesson!" Narumi-sensei exclaimed gleefully, completely unaffected from the black atmosphere around those four said students.

* * *

"Hello," Mikan greeted the Ruka, Natsume, and Hotaru in the classroom after school. They were getting ready to clean and Mikan felt like they were cleaning for hours when fifteen minutes had just passed.

"Don't be stiff," Natsume said as he stood next to her with a broom in his hand.

"This is so awkward," Mikan told him and Natsume looked at her like she just said something stupid because 'awkward' would be an understatement. If only he knew that she was carrying a certain person's secret who happened to be in the same room as her.

"Mikan, can you help me bring our the trash," Hotaru suddenly asked with that convincing voice of hers. Mikan couldn't say no and she just nodded, ignoring the weird look that Natsume cast on her.

Both of them left the classroom and both of them were carrying a trash bin. The squeaks of their shoes were heard in that quiet hallway and Mikan couldn't find the words to start a conversation to the person that she yelled at yesterday.

"Don't be so overly-conscious. Just a while ago you were invisible girl so just continue to be like that," Hotaru told her in that cold demeanor of hers. Mikan bit her lower lip and stared ahead.

"Why did you tell me about who you really are? And about... 'that'?" Mikan asked, not knowing how to address the other issue with Hotaru.

"You just happened to be in the wrong place at a wrong time," Hotaru responded indifferently. She then added on, "And I don't intend to do anything about that other issue...yet."

Mikan was confused. She didn't know what to say because she'd never talked about love or about friends with the other people before. She didn't know whether to encourage Hotaru and pursue her feelings for Ruka or just let her decide on her own.

"You don't really have to do anything. You just need to be quiet about it," Hotaru told her. Mikan wondered if she was an open book; Hotaru seemed to know what was on her mind and that thought bugged her.

"Why do you think it's useless?" Mikan asked. She didn't know where did that question came from, perhaps her heart understood what was supposed to be said.

Hotaru was quiet for a few seconds before she replied, "I have an older brother and he's a doctor right now. Nii-san is outstanding and I really admire him even if I've only seen him twice a year. My parents are proud of him and they boast about him every now and then."

Mikan got the gist of what the situation was and she looked at the trash can as Hotaru continued her story. "They want me to become like him. "Don't fail us", "They have such high expectations from you" and "Don't neglect your studies and focus only on one thing" are the "encouragements" I hear from them everyday. But really, they're more like a burden."

The trash can in the brunette's hands became the subject of her eyes and she wondered how many crumpled feelings have been thrown into this while Hotaru resumed the way of living that was forced on her.

"I was taught that making friends are only beneficial because in the future you can use them. I was taught that such thing like 'love' or 'like' are useless because they're going to be the thorns on the pathway that I'm taking. I only need to be that perfect student and everything will be okay," Hotaru said. Mikan noticed the change in Hotaru's tone, or maybe it was not conspicuous until now, because underneath that impassive tone was a hidden desperation.

Mikan wasn't able to comment on anything as she began to process about the life that Hotaru has been living. They dumped cleaned out the trash bins outside and Hotaru began walking back to school, but Mikan stopped her.

"Why aren't you fighting back? Is that really what you want to do?" Mikan asked; she was already vexed. "I don't really know about high expectations from the others, but I know what it's like when others are forcing you to live the way they want you to live. But I'm not the type of person to go with the flow, so I'd rather stay in my own corner rather than fake everything and lie to myself."

Hotaru let out a small smile, which Mikan thought was a smirk at first, and she said to her, "I know... I wouldn't befriend you if I didn't know that. And I am fighting back; I was the one who suggested to Narumi-sensei to put us in a group today."

Mikan's eyes widened and she was frozen for a second. "So you were acting earlier like you were so distressed about this?!" Mikan said accusingly.

"Isn't this a good opportunity to see how you, ignorant and foolish human beings, can actually socialize with each other?" Hotaru remarked.

Mikan dragged herself into the school and muttered, "And I thought you wished to make Nogi-san into liking you."

"And that too," the lass added on and Mikan almost had a whiplash when she turned to face Hotaru. She definitely wouldn't be able to get used to this bold Hotaru.

"I'll go back now," Hotaru waved her goodbye and Mikan thought of how inconsiderate of her to leave her alone there. She was about to follow Hotaru back to the classroom when a voice startled her so bad that she almost dropped the empty trash can in her hand.

"So Imai likes Ruka?" Natsume chimed in. He had that smug look on her face and a blush crept into Mikan's face.

"Why are you eavesdropping? Are you a girl?" Mikan countered. She was really going to freak out because Natsume just found out one of Hotaru's secrets, then something clicked in her mind. The thought of how Hotaru left her was probably because she knew that Natsume was hiding in the corner and she wanted to leave Mikan alone with him. That thought hit a nerve on Mikan and she began brainstorming about how to get back to the cunning woman.

"You're friends with her now," Natsume commented. Mikan's train of thoughts was disrupted and she stopped to think about it. She would have never thought that she would be friends with Hotaru Imai, or even talk to Natsume right at that moment. That bubble that she was taking refuge in had been popped by these people.

"I guess so," she mumbled bashfully as she looked at the ground. Natsume smiled at that, unbeknownst to her.

"Good for you. Somehow, Ruka and I became friends," he told her. Mikan looked up and giggled.

"How did the antisocial boy and the class clown became friends within a day?" Mikan asked jokingly.

Natsume grinned and replied, "Because of League of Legends."

Mikan shook her head playfully and said, "Figures."

"I'm actually surprised that you know that," the lad teased her.

She laughed and began to walk back to the classroom, "It's because I'm a gamer, too."

Natsume gave out a dragged "What?" to emphasize how surprised he was. Mikan thought that he was stereotypical if he actually thought that only guys could play video games. Mikan was about to enter the classroom when she collided with Ruka and Mikan would've been thrown backwards if Natsume wasn't there to support her.

"I'm sorry!" Ruka immediately apologized and Mikan waved it off and told him that it was okay.

"Oh, do you guys wanna hang out after this?" Ruka suddenly asked. Mikan and Natsume looked at each other and Hotaru was suddenly next to Ruka. Mikan couldn't help but have the urge to tease the impassive woman in front of her.

"That's a good idea," Hotaru agreed with that nice aura around her.

"I can't...," Mikan's voice trailed off when she saw that hawk-like eyes of Hotaru with that menacing aura enveloping her and threatening Mikan with its sharp point. "I-I guess I can," Mikan suddenly changed her course.

"If she's going, then I'm going too," Natsume told them. Mikan turned her head swiftly to him and she had never been grateful in her life until now, because she really didn't want to deal with Hotaru-Ruka situation alone. And the thought of how Natsume was concerned about her was enough to give her a heartwarming feeling.

Mikan's twitched when she saw Hotaru made some gagging actions in the sidelines. She hated the thought of how Hotaru was able to actually read her like an open book. She better be careful around her.

"Then, it's settled then. We'll invite Kitsu, Anna, and the others," Ruka told them. Now, that was unexpected. Mikan was only anticipating a small group for a hang out day, but she totally forgot that Ruka was so popular that he could easily invite ten more people to hang out.

Mikan looked up, hoping for Natsume to object, but he didn't say anything and now Mikan was torn whether to escape from there or just deal with it. Hotaru and Ruka went back to cleaning the book shelves and Natsume patted Mikan's shoulder.

"A chance for you to make more friends," Natsume said. Mikan didn't know whether to be appreciative of that or not. He didn't know her situation and it would be heartbreaking to see him disappointed if he knew that his suggestion was troubling her.

She smiled at him and said, "You're probably right." Natsume then messed her hair and went back to erasing the chalkboard.

Mikan looked at the three people with her inside the classroom. A social interaction with these different people was something alien to her and she didn't know how to respond to this. She was suddenly brought into this other dimension of the world after being pulled out of her secluded world. If she didn't see Natsume at the rooftop, her life shouldn't have turned 180 degrees.

However, the bubbling feeling of happiness when she's together with Natsume won't disappear.

* * *

**A/N: Woah.. I haven't typed a long chapter after "The Broken Pieces Left" :O This is like...so weird but I'm happy that I'm able to do this after taking the PSAT hahaha and this chapter is probably long and boring because of the details and stuff but I promise that it will get better because I know some of us don't enjoy this kind of stuff, this story is going to be kind of long. I'm just maintaining the way I write and I hope that you'll support and continue reading this story because this is only the beginning and there's more to come :D Thank you so much for those who have reviewed and I love you all! **

**Yours truly,**

**CrimsonHazelEyes**


	3. The Second Encounter

**Disc: I don't own G.A.**

* * *

_**A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on it's own wings. Always believe in yourself.**_

* * *

**Second Encounter : Running Away**

It was loud. Mikan couldn't describe her surroundings besides from that. She was actually in a karaoke with her cleaning duty buddies, with more of their classmates. Natsume was silently watching them, but he was sitting next to Mikan; that gesture really gave her some comfort. She was feeling a bit sick because right after they cleaned up the classroom, they went straight to a fast food chain to eat and meet up with the others. It was awkward because Mikan felt like she'd gotten weird glances from the others since they clearly weren't expecting her to be there.

"Sakura-san, right?" an angelic voice in the midst of the loud echoes of singing, had interrupted Mikan's thoughts. She cautiously looked up and found a cherry pink-haired girl with bright, round eyes staring at her.

"Y-Yes?" Mikan nervously replied. Natsume's attention flew on them, and Mikan felt embarrassed with his watching over her.

"I knew it. You're the girl from the back of the class who stares at the sky," the girl stated after giving a sigh of relief. Mikan knew her. She was Anna Umenomiya who had some crazy skills in cooking and Mikan was secretly envious of her culinary skills. She really wished that she could bake different flavors of cupcakes in their Home and Economics class, just like Anna.

"How do you know that?" Mikan asked, a bit taken aback that someone was actually watching her doze off in class. Well, she was a bit guilty because she also did that to Natsume. It was not like it was her fault that the lad was too laid back in terms of classwork, and she didn't have anything to do anyway.

"Remember from the entrance exams? I was the one who tripped at the front gates and you were running, but you stopped and helped me anyway," Anna told her sheepishly. Mikan couldn't help but think of how cute this girl was. Then again, it might be another characteristic that wasn't blessed upon her and now she was more jealous of her.

"How nice," Natsume commented. Mikan would've mistaken if as being sarcastic but he had a small smile on his face, and she couldn't bring herself to fight him.

"Well, I _am _nice," the brunette followed up.

"Yeah, only when you're not being moody and keeping secrets," Natsume countered back. Mikan gave out a fake gasp and put her hand on her chest playfully.

"Well, don't be such a girl and listen to others' conversations!" she said.

"You two look like an old couple," Anna suddenly intercepted their childish banter and both of them looked at her with widened eyes.

"We're not!" both of them yelled out in unison.

Anna just giggled and she stood up from her seat. Mikan wondered where did she go, and she thought of how Anna was doing the same thing as Hotaru with the whole thing about leaving her behind with Natsume. A blush crept up on her face and she drank the cup of water on the table in front of her. Anna then came back with a blue-haired girl in tow, and Mikan recognized her.

"Hi! I'm Nonoko!" the girl introduced herself. She looked like the reserved-type of girl, a bit preppy but also smart. Mikan had already known these facts within more than a month of being in the same class with them. It was a bit weird when she thought about it, but she was just an observant.

"I'm Mikan," she replied back. She turned to Natsume and elbowed him. He gave out a silent growl, and Mikan just glared at him. He finally gave up and he faced the two other girls.

"Natsume. I'm sure you kind of remember that," he gave a brief introduction of himself.

"Why are you being so grouchy now? You wanted to come here, didn't you?" Mikan whispered to him, cupping her hand to his ear. The other two girls were suspiciously looking at them with grins on their faces.

"Well... I thought you wanted to go," he told her. Mikan moved back to hide her embarrassed face from him.

"Are you two going out?" Nonoko and Anna asked simultaneously.

"No...," Mikan responded slowly. She wasn't even sure if she heard them right because that was just a strange question to ask. Natsume, on the other hand, was staring at her and she didn't exactly feel comfortable with that.

At last, she rose from the leather couch and she told them, "I'm just going to the bathroom." She then went out of the karaoke room, leaving the two confused girls and a blank-faced Natsume.

* * *

Half an hour had already passed and it was already 9:30 PM, but Mikan was still outside the karaoke room. She did go to the bathroom and fixed herself up because she felt suffocated in the room. She found a bench and decided to sit there.

"Really... being alone is so much better," Mikan muttered to herself unconsciously. She pulled her black backpack in front of her and got out her sketchbook. She flipped towards a blank page and she pocketed a pencil from her bag's pocket.

Mikan closed her eyes and she felt her surroundings melt down around her until there was only the clouds and the sky around her. The water droplets that formed the clouds that made them look like puffy cotton candy, and the clear blue sky in the background were etched in her mind. It then changed into the scene in the karaoke room. The serene atmosphere that she used to have, was changed into a chaotic and crowd-filled surrounding. The latter was sketched on the paper, and Mikan wondered how could she sketch something that she wasn't familiar with.

"Did you draw that?" a voice popped out from above her and Mikan jumped in shock, dropping her sketchbook on the ground.

"You scared me!" Mikan almost shouted at Natsume who had a grin on his face. He was leaning on the wall and he bent down to pick up the fallen book. Mikan's eyes doubled its size and she attempted to grab her possession, but Natsume waved it in the air with a smug look on his face.

"Even if you're trying to help Imai with Ruka, you should have at least stay with me in that room. They were so loud," Natsume told her while rolling his eyes. Mikan pouted and gave up. She couldn't get her hands on her sketchbook, and she did feel bad for not going back in the room.

"They can still have fun without me though," she argued back. Natsume frowned at her response.

"Then, what's the reason of why did I actually come here for?" he asked her. The fellow then began turning pages of the book and stopping to stare at each one of them.

"For Ruka?" Mikan replied dumbly. She wasn't blunt enough to ask, "Didn't you come here because you wanted to give me company?"

"These are good. How come you paint and draw like this when you've never participated in any of the class projects?" Natsume asked. He completely waved off the other topic and Mikan was more than glad to do that too.

"Well, no one really asked me what do I wanna do," she said. Natsume looked at her with those mesmerizing crimson eyes, and Mikan stared back at him. Now that they were a bit closer, she realized that his eyes were just reddish-brown. It also came to her that compared to his eyes, her amber eyes were a bit boring.

"What do you wanna do?" he asked her out of nowhere that Mikan was a bit startled. She then looked away and she looked at the ceiling. There was a crack at the corner perpendicular to the wall and she thought of how they should fix that because it didn't show a good enough appearance to the guests.

"I want... to live independently," Mikan said in a soft voice. She might be showing an unusual expression that moment, but Natsume was with her. She didn't care if he would see her true personality, and she still couldn't figure out why his presence alone was enough to give her a soothing feeling.

Natsume sat next to her and he leaned his head on the wall. He then spoke, "Sometimes, hoping to grow up faster is not the same as hoping to lead a better life; it's just our way of saying that "I want to run away"."

Mikan blinked a couple of times and averted her eyes off the ceiling. She couldn't find the words to reply to those words because... they did hit the bull's eye.

"You're probably right," Mikan whispered.

That night ended with thoughts in each of their minds, and with Mikan's sketchbook in Natsume's hands.

* * *

Second semester started and it was almost winter. The chill in the air was evident with the change of uniform of the students and the leafless trees. Mikan Sakura came in with a red scarf around her neck. She blew puffs of air and smiled before she entered the school building. She was about to go to her class after changing her shoes, when Ruka Nogi put his hands on her shoulders.

"Good morning, Sakura-san!" he enthusiastically greeted her and she replied back with a quiet 'good morning'.

"Mikan-chan, good morning!" Anna and Nonoko just came in and they both greeted her.

"Good morning to you, too," Mikan said with a beam. She felt like after a month, she gained new friends and they were surprising happy to welcome her despite of her being so quiet in the class at the beginning of the year. Mikan was still a bit antisocial, but she was getting used to being around some people thanks to a certain someone who constantly nagged her with his presence.

Mikan walked to her class and she was so glad that she was able to get a sit next to the window because she wouldn't be able to stand it if she were to sit in front or in the middle of the room. She slung her backpack on her chair and she smiled when she saw the black strands of hair splayed on the desk of her neighbor.

"Good morning!" Mikan spoke loud enough for the sleeping fellow to wake up. Natsume was her neighboring classmate and he seemed to be expecting that someone was going to annoy him today; namely, Mikan.

"Do you have to yell that loud?" he asked grouchily and yawned. Mikan sat on her seat and snickered.

They continued their everyday chats until the teacher came. In the middle of the class, Mikan's eyes follow the black, leather-bound sketchbook being put down on her desk. She gave Natsume a menacing glare and flipped through her pages. There was a note stuck on it and she read it.

_You basically told me your lifestyle through that journal. In short, you're a bad student. _

Mikan scoffed and wrote down on the note: _Well, sorry but Fukutan-sensei is timid. He never told me to stop drawing. _

She threw the note to Natsume and it hit his head. She giggled, loud enough for the students nearby to look at her but not loud enough for the teacher to notice her. She saw Natsume write a reply and she wondered why a guy like him could have a fancy handwriting when hers was just average.

_You really are a bad student. Is that all you do in your free time?_

The brunette felt insulted but she still responded to him anyway.

_Well, I cook, shop, play video games, and clean. _

Natsume retorted back: _Clean? Yeah, right. Cook? Are you sure?_

Mikan replied: _I'm so sure._

Natsume: _Liar. Do me a favor and just go somewhere with me during your free time._

The lass couldn't believe her eyes because she felt like she was just being teased by Natsume. That didn't stop her blood from rushing upwards, spreading a a red tint on her cheeks. She could feel her ears heating up and she wondered why her heart was being noisy inside her. _I'm probably suffering from an incurable disease_, Mikan thought.

_Are you asking me on a date, Sir Hyuuga?_ She asked albeit jokingly, but half of her was serious about it, not that she would admit that to him.

An immediate reply came and Mikan gulped before unfolding the note.

_Yes. _

The bell rang and Mikan jumped from her seat because of surprise. She was about to stand, but Natsume beat her to the front door and she knew that she wouldn't be able to catch up to him. However, Mikan didn't miss the conspicuous red neck that Natsume had before he left the classroom.

* * *

_"Idiot, that means you like him,"_ Hotaru said on the other line.

It was rare for Mikan to make a phone call to someone, and to Hotaru to say the least, but she was talking to her on the phone.

"That... doesn't make sense," Mikan said. She wondered if Hotaru was just being eccentric again and she was just spewing nonsense.

_"Well, if your heart beats faster than usual, you blush when you're around him, and you're excited because he invited you into a date-"_

"-It's not a date," Mikan interrupted Hotaru.

_"Whatever. But that could only mean that you like him,"_ she finished.

Mikan was beyond flabbergasted she froze for a few moments. Her mind was working very slow and it was just not clicking right. The sound of her falling in love with someone was not possible, even in her dreams, and to a person like Natsume... that's even more impossible. They both have that apathetic personality on the outside and they knew their true personalities, but Mikan couldn't shake off that unsettling feeling.

_"Let me guess,"_ Hotaru spoke from the other end and continued, _"you're afraid that you're going to ruin your friendship."_

The silent response after that had already confirmed the answer. _Maybe, Hotaru is right. I'm afraid to lose Natsume who was the first to reach out to me and give me comfort and who makes me smile when I need him the most. And... I'm afraid to be left alone again. _Those were Mikan's last thoughts before she bid goodbye to Hotaru.

* * *

**A/N: Hi, everyone! How are you, guys? XD Thank you for reading and supporting this new story :D I greatly appreciate it because I haven't been in here for a more than a year and the first readers and first reviewers are kind of like my first fans for this generation :D I hope you guys like this chapter and some of you might think that it's going fast, or going slow, buttttttt... there's more to come and more events that are going to happen that will keep you on edge. This is just the start! Stay tune for the next chapter!**

**Yours truly,**

**CrimsonHazelEyes**


End file.
